First-ever UMass Flex Summit Scheduled for April 12

UMass Amherst’s inaugural Flex Summit will be held Tuesday, April 12, with members of the campus community invited to participate either online or in person in the Student Union Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

UMass Flexible Learning explores ways to present the entire university experience — from classes to career services — to students and instructors, both on and off campus. Full program highlights can be found on the UMass Flex Summit site and convenient online registration is available. Faculty and staff as well as students are invited to participate free of charge.

Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy says, “This summit is an important step in understanding the possibilities for flexible learning at UMass. We will share more about how we are moving forward with the recommendations of the Flexible Learning Taskforce and explore a faculty and student-driven definition of flexible learning at UMass. We are excited to be joined by a variety of voices from faculty, students and administrators, as well as experts from the field.”

David Madigan, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Northeastern University will provide the morning keynote presentation. He will share the ways NUflex enhances the in-person and online experience, supports teaching and learning, and provides digital flexibility for both instructors and students.  

Brian Beatty, associate professor of instructional technologies in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies, and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University, will provide the afternoon keynote. Beatty is a pioneer of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments. His keynote will touch upon the values and principles of the model, as well as its history and implementation.